If you’re into graphic design and you want to buy a laptop which allows you to get creative, for work or play, you’ll benefit from this detailed guide. We’re going to talk about which laptop features and design elements are most practical and appropriate for graphic designers. Our goal is to help you shop for something which gives you more power and potential as an artist.

Graphic design is all about communicating visually via lettering, pictures, space and colors. It’s a wonderful means of self-expression and it’s also a fulfilling career pathway for many people. Without further ado, let’s discuss some things to think about as you prepare to purchase a laptop for graphic design…

In general, graphic designers choose laptops which are higher-end than the usual. They need extra oomph in order to meet the needs of these types of design professionals! Popular forms of graphic design software which are run on these laptops include CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. Obviously, laptops need enough power and memory to run these programs perfectly.

Best Laptop for Graphic Design

MacBook Pro

Asus F555LA

Acer Aspire

Dell Inspiron

Acer Predator

RAM

16 GB

4 GB

8 GB

8 GB

8 GB

CPU

Intel i7

Intel i3

Intel i5

Intel i7

Intel i7

SSD

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes 8GB

Drive

512 GB

500 GB

256 GB

256 GB

1 TB

Screen

15.4"

15.6"

15.6"

15.6"

15.6"

Weight

4.46 lb

5.1 lb

5.27 lb

5.3 lb

4.6 lb

Price

Premium

Affordable

Mid-range

Mid-range

High-end

How to Choose a Laptop for Graphic Designers

1.) Random-Access Memory (RAM)

It’s vital to choose a laptop which has sufficient random-access memory, or RAM for short. With this in mind, make sure that any laptop you’re looking at has at last four gigabytes of RAM. Even more RAM is better, but you’ll need a minimum of 4GB in order to ensure that you’re programs run efficiently.

2.) Look for a Capable Video Card

The quality and capability of a laptop’s video card will be an important consideration. While RAM is probably more important overall, we do recommend choosing a laptop for graphic design which comes with a great video card.

3.) Central Processing Unit

A central processing unit is a laptop component which is also known as a CPU. When shopping around, look for laptop processors which offer at least four cores. Examples of processors which are powerful enough to provide premium performance to graphic designers include Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7 and Haswell, so keep an eye out for these processors when you’re reading product details and specifications online.

4.) Monitor Dimensions

It’s important to buy a laptop with a monitor that is large enough to display everything that you want to see. This is why we recommend going bigger. For example, if you choose a smaller display screen, such as one which measures thirteen inches, you may find that it’s just not adequate for your needs! For best results, select a laptop with a monitor which measures fifteen inches or is even bigger.

5.) The Laptop Should be Easy to Move Around

Technological advancements mean that newer laptops are much lighter than previous models. As well, they offer longer battery life, which means fewer charges. These newer laptops are very portable and this is great. How light your laptop needs to be really depends on how you typically work. Some people won’t wont to move their computers around as much as others do. If you’re interested in working from an array of locations, looking for a design which is very light in weight will be smart.

6.) Seek Out Superb Color Clarity

To find a laptop which offers great color clarity and “trueness”, be sure to check out models with ISP displays. Models that do have these features are the gold standard for superior color resolution. Luckily, they are pretty easy to find.

How to Comparison-shop Online

Now that you know the most important features, consider your online shopping strategy. It has to be said that Apple laptops are the preferred choices of many successful graphic designers. If you think that you can afford an Apple design, you may want to start your hunt for a laptop at the official Apple website. However, Apple isn’t the only option. We’ve mentioned the brand because its laptops do tend to be found at graphic design firms worldwide and a lot of independent graphic artists love them, too.

In general, you should compare at least five laptops from different manufacturers. Think about the elements that we discussed earlier and see which laptop styles are most appropriate for your needs. Also, look at customer reviews. You’ll learn so much by reading what other people have to say about their experiences with certain models. Just remember that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a nice piece of technology, our top affordable laptop guides shows that even around the $500 mark has great models.

Lastly, once you’ve narrowed the field a bit, be sure to compare prices at three or four online suppliers. It’s always nice to get a great price on a wonderful new laptop.

As well, look at warranty information. Some laptops have stronger warranties than others. The longer, stronger warranty is the most useful. However, you may have the option of paying more in order to get a longer warranty.

Hopefully, our guide has covered all of the bases. Now, you’re ready to find the perfect laptop for graphic design!

Video editing has become so common that you can even use your phone to do it. But there’s a catch, since phones can only handle less than a one minute video. On the other hand, if want to get serious as a video editor then productivity is key and you’ll need to buy the best laptop for video editing that your budget can afford.

There are certain things you need to pay special attention when you are on the lookout for a laptop. These most important features are:

CPU power

Memory (RAM)

HDD capacity size

Screen size

That’s why we compiled a list with the top laptops for video editing currently on the market.

How to Choose an Affordable Laptop for Video Editing

Windows or Chrome OS?

First of all, if you use Adobe software for your video editing tasks, then you should downright exclude Chrome OS from your list of options, as it simply isn’t supported on this platform. Windows, on the other hand, fully supports Adobe software. If Chrome OS is your preferred choice, however, you can try out Magisto and WeVideo for video editing instead.

It’s true that neither platform supports all file types out of the box. The difference is that with Windows you can install codecs for pretty much every media file available, whereas Chrome is unable to play essential formats such as QuickTime and .h264; the latter represents almost 60% of all videos on the web, while many cameras record in this format by default.

Hence, although Chrome OS may be okay for everyday users, professionals of video editing need to pick a Windows laptop or, of course, a computer from Apple with their iOS.

Core i5 or Core i7?

All 4th Generation Intel Core i5 i7 CPUs feature Hyper-Threading Technology (HT). HT offers increased performance during multitasking. This means that your laptop can execute several tasks simultaneously without suffering performance-wise. Therefore, if you are used to have many applications running together, such as browsing the internet while rendering a video in the background, then this feature will prove useful to you.

In a nutshell the strengths and weakness of each CPU type are:

Core i5 is a very strong processor that can manage brilliantly with heavy use, such as using multiple applications at the same time without crashing, lagging or slowing down; Core i7 is even faster.

Core i7 was designed for video rendering and audio editing, which are very demanding tasks as far a laptop performance is concerned.

Core i7 CPUs are the undisputed kings of performance, and the best bet for anyone who demands the absolute top in raw power, graphics and speed. If you make money from video editing, then Core i7 should be in your sights

Best 3 Laptops for Video Editing Reviewed

#1. ASUS ROG GTX960M

ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS71 is the absolute best notebook available today for video editing. Sporting a 15.6-inch display and an Intel Core i7-4710HQ 2.5GHz processor, along with Optimus Technology graphics, it handles video editing perfectly.

The laptop’s Full HD display allows you to work on your videos at 1080p resolution. What’s more, NVIDIA’s GeForce Experience maximizes performance and image quality by optimizing the video editing process.

Finally, battery performance shouldn’t be a concern. The laptop supports Optimus Technology, which has the ability to switch between embedded and discrete graphics depending on performance demand. This way, you have maximum performance only when you need it, which saves energy and extend the laptop’s autonomy, providing you more time for your video editing tasks.

We previously mentioned that Core i7 is the CPU to go for professional video editing. Therefore, the ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS71 with Core i7 is the best laptop for video editing

#2. Acer Aspire V17 Nitro

According to Acer, Nitro is a “beast,” and the nickname couldn’t be more accurate. Acer Aspire V17 Nitro is a performance monsters that shines in every facet of video editing.

Featuring a Core i7 CPU and a large, 17.3-inch high-quality display, Acer is all about power, speed and productivity. Editing videos, let alone watching them, is as simple as a walk in the park.

If video editing by night is your thing, this monster will pleasantly surprise you with its backlit-in-red keyboard. Despite being a minor decorative detail, it adds to the laptop’s usability and convenience.
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro demonstrates extraordinary cinematic visuals for work and entertainment. Its Full HD Display, based on IPS technology performs brilliantly, offering vivid colors and sharp images from virtually every angle.

#3. Dell XPS 13

Dell XPS 13 is an amazingly light and portable laptop. Despite its slim and compact shape, the XPS 13 is made from environmentally friendly materials and does not contain mercury, lead and phthalates. Dell claims that it’s the greenest XPS laptop they’ve ever made.

The laptop is sports a Core i5 CPU which, although pretty fast, is not optimal for video editing; however, it is enough for amateur video editors. Although the screen is small, it is borderless, which provides adequate working space for video editing.

Performance-wise, however, the screen is amazing. Featuring a breathtaking Ultra Sharp QHD+ resolution (3200×1800) at only 13.3 inches screen, the Dell XPS 13 is a piece of art from an aesthetic point of view.

Nonetheless, he managed to find one shady spot on this brilliant machine. The 3200×1800 resolution looks amazing on the laptop’s native display, however, if you connect an external monitor, the image produced looks a bit blurry.

Buying a laptop that meets all of your requirements isn’t an easy task. Finding an affordable laptop is even more challenging. That is why we have compiled a list of the 10 best laptops under $400 available.

There has been a high demand for budget laptops recently as portable computers have become a necessary tool for everyone to complete their everyday computing jobs. Laptops in the $400 price bracket won’t are suitable for playing HD games or applications like Photoshop which require high-end processors and memory. While they cannot do these high-end tasks, they are ideal to use for tasks such as using the internet, sending emails, word processing, music, and videos.

Battery Life – This is a major factor as you don’t want to be out and about when the laptop fails on you. If you have a job that requires you to be out of the office for significant periods of time, choose a laptop with a longer battery life.

Operating System – The first decision is whether you want to go with the classic option of Windows, or maybe Apple OS, or maybe even Chrome.

Screen Size – When you are looking at laptops under $400, the screen size can vary widely. Again, if your job requires you to move around often, a smaller device may be easier to carry around.

Keyboard and Touchpad – Remember that you will be using both of these every single day, so you need to be comfortable with how they work. You don’t want to choose a laptop only to find that the touchpad is hard to use as you will then have to carry a mouse around too.

Display – The options under $400 in this section are high, so you have the choice of going for a laptop with a clear and bright display.

Processor – A stronger processor will make your laptop run faster and smoother so think about what you need it for once again. For light work, you may be able to get away with a weaker processor.

So there are the key features that you will need to look out for and here are five of the most popular options in this category!

To make your task simpler, we have compiled for you a list of the best laptops under $400:

#1. Dell Inspiron 16-Inch

This Dell machine is probably the best on the market when looking in this price range as it provides all the features you could ever want and need. It comes with a powerful AMD A4 Quad Core processor which will allow you to do all your jobs without a hint of a problem, a 500GB hard-drive so you can store all your family photos and favorite music in addition to a high-quality webcam already built-in.

The laptop is lightweight compared to other products that have a 15.6-inch screen which, when coupled with a responsive touchscreen and inbuilt webcam, make a great option to those who like to video chat and stay up to date with their friends or even for business.

Specs for this Laptop are:

Operating System: Windows 8

Processor: AMD A4 Quad Core processor

Storage capacity: 500 GB

Weight: 5.26 pounds

Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 15 x 1 inches

Battery Life: Up to 6.5 hours

We rate the Inspiron as an excellent laptop at a very low price! Packed with features, this product is one of the best laptops under $400.

#2. HP 15-F039WM Laptop

This first option is great if you are after a laptop for light use and general surfing of the internet. With a built-in webcam, ideal for taking both pictures and videos to be quickly shared with friends and family, and a CD/DVD drive coupled with excellent sound quality, this is a great laptop in this price bracket.

This product provides a great option to those on the go as it has a sleek design and is relatively thin when compared to other options. Security features will allow you to remain protected wherever you go, and the beautiful HD display means that everything can be seen bright and clear.

Specs for this Laptop are:

Processor: Intel Celeron N2830 (2.16 GHz)

Operating System: Windows 8.1

RAM: 4 GB

Storage Capacity: 500 GB

WLAN: 802.11 bgn

Weight: 5 pounds

Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 15.2 x 0.9 inches

If you are looking for a laptop for routine work such as using the internet and sending emails – this HP laptop is the perfect device.

#3. Lenovo G50 15.6-Inch

At less than 1 inch thick, this Lenovo laptop is among the slimmest you will find and is also backed up by some useful features. The G50 is a perfect for buyers who like to run a variety of different medias through their laptop as it has a stunning HD display along with Dolby audio certified stereo speakers. The HD webcam will also see your video calls transform like never before.

This laptop has been designed with efficiency in mind, and this is personified in the easy-to-use touchpad which allows you to swipe through your apps at will. The battery life lasts for around 5 hours, and the keyboard has been designed for quick typing making it perfect for working. We rate the Lenovo as one of the best options in this price bracket.

Specs for this Laptop are:

Processor: Intel Core i3 (1.9 GHz)

Operating System: Windows 8.1

Screen Resolution: 1366*768 pixels

RAM: 6 GB

Storage Capacity: 500 GB

Battery Life: up to 5 hours

WLAN: 802.11 bgn

Weight: 4.6 pounds

Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 0.98 x 15.12 inches

Summary: The Lenovo G50 ships with a lot of features and is great value for money.

#4. HP Touchsmart 15-f010dx

With HP Touchsmart laptop, you can quickly browse the net and other stored media through its 15.6” touch screen that offers bright and crisp visuals and simplifies navigation. Its DVD±RW/CD-RW drive allows you to create customized CDs and DVDs.

Specs for this Laptop are:

Processor: Intel Core i3

Operating System: Windows 8

RAM: 4 GB

Storage Capacity: 500 GB

WLAN: 802.11 bgn

Weight: 5.1 pounds

Product Dimensions: 10.20 x 15.20 x 0.90 inches

A well designed ‘jack of all trades’ laptop that can handle all the basic computing functions – plus a touch screen which is a nice plus for some buyers!

#5. Toshiba Satellite C75D-B7304

This laptop offers the biggest screen yet at 17.3 inches and is made in high definition and therefore provides a crystal-clear viewing for all. Storage is equally impressive at 1TB meaning that you will never have to choose between photos to keep and pictures to delete again.

The Toshiba keyboard is efficiency-driven making typing straightforward and stress-free. If you need a laptop for working, browsing but also for occasionally streaming videos, this could be the one for you.

Specs for this Laptop are:

Processor: AMD Quad-Core A6-6310 Accelerated Processor

Operating System: Windows 8.1

RAM: 4 GB

Storage Capacity: 1 TB

Weight: 5.9 pounds

Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 16.3 x 1.3

WLAN: 802.11 bgn

While this laptop is in the low-end price range, the specs are competitive with more expensive units and the screen design is high quality.

Buying a new laptop can be a stressful time, but it is your right to take your time and assess all the options as you will have to live with the decision for some time to come. Be sure to review all the key features that you need to reach the right decision so you can be happy with your purchase!